How To Do A Clean Skyrim Install

Guide:Skyrim Installation

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GUIDE FORUM THREAD

Annotation

This is an coincident guide to the official Step Guide created to reduce the length of that guide. Well-nigh of the post-obit is general modding information or information for those non interested in using Modern organizer (MO) equally STEP recommends.

Suggested first reading: The installation department below!

Installation and configuration [edit]

STEP recommends installing Skyrim to an SSD, if available, and preferably on a separate drive/partition than the Operating System is installed on (i.e. instead of installing to the C: bulldoze, install information technology to D:, E:, etc). If a split up drive/division is unavailable, avoid installing Steam and Skyrim in "C:/Program Files" or "C:/Plan Files (x86)" folders since Windows User Account Command [UAC] will crusade issues with a modded Skyrim.

Skyrim is installed through Steam, and this can be done on one of two ways:

Purchase the physical Skyrim DVD from a retailer - Run "Setup.exe," and follow the on-screen instructions to install Steam and Skyrim (see second video link above).
Install Steam and purchase the digital media from the Steam store - Navigate to the Steam website, download the installer, and launch "SteamSetup.exe" (see commencement video link higher up). Once Steam is installed, use the Steam search bar to search for "Skyrim" to buy and install the game (see second video link to a higher place).

NOTE:

If Steam/Skyrim are installed according to these instructions and Mod Organizer (MO) is used according to recommendations in the STEP Guide, then backup procedures and security changes are optional and non necessary. Still, these procedures are mentioned in the video guides above.

Security settings [edit]

Since User Account Control can preclude some tools from working correctly, it is recommended to edit the security settings of the Skyrim directory to allow total control:

Navigate to <Steam>/SteamApps/mutual/.
Right-click the Skyrim folder and select Backdrop.
Go to the Security tab and click Edit...
Highlight Users (<estimator name>/Users) in the top panel.
In the bottom panel, under the Permit column for Full Control, tick the checkbox and click Utilise.
Click OK and OK again.

Backup [edit]

Before annihilation else is done, it is skilful practice to create a "Vanilla fill-in" of this baseline installation. Steam's backup tool is not the near efficient way to backup the clean Skyrim installation. Instead, apply 7-Zip or other compression software to compress the following directories, which may be rapidly extracted to the same or analogous locations in the event that a fresh installation is desired:

<Steam>/SteamApps/common/skyrim
%USERPROFILE%/My Documents/My Games/Skyrim
%LOCALAPPDATA%/Skyrim

Reverting to the Vanilla Baseline [edit]

MO2

If using Mod Organizer (MO) according to the recommendations in the Pace Guide, there is nothing gained by post-obit this procedure, equally MO inherently preserves a pristine vanilla Skyrim game directory, since it uses a virtualization technique.

During the modding experience it is handy to know how to re-establish a clean Skyrim installation to avoid having to use Steam to un-install and re-install from scratch, as this is very inefficient and takes an unnecessarily long time. If an archived backup was not created (see previous department) there is still a much simpler way to achieve the same effect without waiting for Steam. This procedure is discussed in Reverting Skyrim to a Pristine (Vanilla) Installation.

Configuration [edit]

MO2

SkyrimLE:Modernistic Organizer uses profiles, which store the user configuration under <Modern Organizer>/profiles. This 'protects' the config files by isolating them under each unique contour and serves to back upwardly profile-specific INI and other configuration files. These are the INI files that are really edited from within MO > Tools, and the default configuration files still exist in their original locations for reference when Skyrim is launched from outside MO

The Skyrim configuration files (INIs) are stored under %USERPROFILE%/Documents/My Games/Skyrim/. Modifying these files can greatly amend the Skyrim experience and represents an important department of the STEP guide. %USERPROFILE%/Documents/My Games/Skyrim/Saves holds all of Skyrim's savegame files. A more advanced tutorial on INI settings for both AMD and Nvidia users can be found in the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Tweak Guide.

Additional Skyrim-contour resources are located in %LOCALAPPDATA%/Skyrim and include "DLCList.txt", "plugins.txt", and "SteamModList.txt" too every bit "loadorder.txt" if using a mod manager. These files proceed runway of all mod plugins (i.e. ESPs), whether they are agile or not and the gild they are to exist loaded in when Skyrim is launched.

Mods [edit]

Note:

The following instructions pertain to general mod treatment when NOT using Mod Organizer (MO) equally the primary mod management tool.

Installation [edit]

Skyrim mods must all be installed to the Skyrim data directory. If you have followed recommendations it will be somewhere like this D:/Games/Steam/SteamApps/common/skyrim/Data. All .bsa and plugin files (.esp and .esm) reside here. Directories corresponding to each .bsa name can exist created and files inside them will override files inside of the .bsa, so whatever texture files in <skyrim>/Information/textures volition overwrite textures of the same name in textures.bsa for example. Always save your game before installing a mod, you will demand to revert to information technology if you want to uninstall the mod at a subsequently engagement. Quote from Skyrim Best Practices on BethBlog

"When you play Skyrim with a mod, in most cases, the new data for the modern will exist written into any new saved games yous create. For instance, if y'all play Skyrim with Mod X and create a save, the side by side time you load that save, the game volition expect Mod X to also exist loaded. If you no longer want to play Skyrim with Mod X, it is best to unload Mod X (by unchecking the plugin under Data Files in your Skyrim launcher) and loading a relieve that does not require Modern 10, usually an older salvage or a backed up salvage."

Uninstallation [edit]

Commencement disable a mod in the launcher (if it has an esp) and so delete all files associated with the mod. Adequately piece of cake to uninstall mods that include but a bsa and/or esp just delete them, mods that comprise media or graphics are hard to proceed track of manually and can exist very difficult to uninstall without the assistance of a mod manager. Now, load the savegame you made before installing the mod.

If many mods have been installed it is often easier to delete the Skyrim directory and restore from your vanilla fill-in. If you have no vanilla backup just delete all the not *.bsa files and directories from Skyrim/data then run verify integrity from Steam. This volition download whatever corrupt or missing files and reinstall them for yous although there is no guarantee that y'all removed all the offending files.

Savegame compatibility [edit]

Note that optimally mods should only be installed before you lot kickoff playing Skyrim and not removed or upgraded until you accept completed the game. Savegames will become corrupt if mods are removed or updated, this abuse will build upward over time and can be viewed/logged by running Skyrim with debugging turned on. There are several methods of creating savegames that mitigate the danger but none to remove it. To make a more than reliable (merely not clean) savegame, go inside an unoccupied house, open the console (type ~) and type pcb and enter, get out the console (~), and save from the menu (not a quicksave).

The Troubleshooting Guide includes a comprehensive method for Installing and Uninstalling mods while mitigating the danger of creating corrupted savegames. This is a lot of work for a lilliputian benefit and so its best to exercise very few large upgrades instead of many small ones.

Fill-in [edit]

After completing a full installation of Stride is a perfect time to create a fully configured and modded backup of your installation: It is not recommended to use Steam to fill-in Skyrim as information technology will oft neglect to properly restore as well equally often autoupdating to the latest version of skyrim. Use 7zip or other archiver and shrink the Skyrim directory and save to a storage disk (not your ssd). Additionally, you should employ 7zip and save into %USERPROFILE%/My Documents/My Games/Skyrim.

Mod file types and directories [edit]

File types [edit]

BSA stands for Bethesda Softworks Archive, this is a custom archive format (like a ZIP file) that contains other files and directories. Skyrim BSA files are different from previous versions and require new tools in gild to pack and unpack them without introducing abuse, BSAopt works very well. The default Skyrim BSA's are: Animations, Interface, Meshes, Misc, Shaders, Sounds, Textures, Voices, VoicesExtra, and Update. DLC's and mods made with the official cosmos kit besides oft include BSA'due south, these files will override the default bsa's.

ESM and ESP are modernistic files and are acronyms for Elder Scrolls Master and Plugin. Tthey are used to directly modify the Skyrim world and gameplay. ESMs are master files and are used to create completely new areas of the earth or other things within these areas. ESP files are always dependent on an ESM (usually Skyrim.esm) and change items, creatures, or places already nowadays.

INI files incorporate configuration data and the ones in your Skyrim directory are simply the defaults used to rebuild missing or corrupted files into %USERPROFILE%/My Documents/My Games/Skyrim.

File Extension	File Type	Skyrim Directory	Description
bsa	Bethesda Softworks Annal	data	This holds all of the main files used in the game and DLC, also be used by mods on Steam Workshop
esm	Elder Scrolls Master	data	This contains the chief gamesettings, used when creating completely new objects or areas
esp	Elder Scrolls Plugin	data	This contains modified gamesettings, based on a main usually only Skyrim.esm
ess	Elder Scrolls Savegame	mygames-saves	The savegame file contains all gameworld and grapheme data
txt	text	meshes-animationdata,interface,mygames-skyrim	Contains technical data that controls animations, interface, and graphics support
ini	text	mygames-skyrim,skyrim	contains configuration settings for the game engine
dds	texture	textures	Texture maps (graphics) for 3D models in the game
nif	3D model	meshes	The wire mesh model for all objects in the game
hkx	Havock Blitheness	meshes-animations	all movement in the game is controlled by these files
png	graphics	textures-books	used exclusively for graphics inside books
swf	flash	interface	the Graphic User Interface is created using these files
pex	compiled papyrus	scripts	These control all object and character beliefs in the game
psc	source papyrus	scripts	Uncompiled source scripts unused by the game until they are compiled into .pex files
wav	audio	sound	All ambient sounds and sound effects
fuz	sound	sound-voices	All voice dialogue
xwm	sound	music	All songs and music
lod	texture	lodsettings	Graphics used for very afar objects
strings	unknown	strings	localization of text
dlstrings	unknown	strings	localization of text
ilstrings	unknown	strings	localization of text
bto	unknown	meshes	unknown
btr	unknown	meshes	unknown
btt	unknown	meshes	unknown
lst	unknown	meshes	unknown
tri	unknown	meshes	unknown
fxp	unknown	shadersfx	controls all graphics shaders
gfx	unknown	interface	unknown
gid	unknown	grass	used to dynamically generate grass
seq	sequence	seq	used for quests

Directories [edit]

There are several special directories in <skyrim>/Data. These directories may not be created by default; however, when they are, they part in a special mode. These include: Grass, Interface, Lodsettings, Meshes, Music, Scripts, Shadersfx, Sound, Strings, and Textures. Correctly named and formatted files placed in these directories (termed "Loose files") volition override files inside the default Skyrim BSA'southward besides as DLC's and other mods distributed with bsa'southward.

A Docs directory is useful for storing all documentation, if you are using Wrye Bash to install it volition automatically rename all readme'southward to "modname" readme.txt and place them there. Additional directories named SKSE and ASI agree Script Extender plugins and Script Dragon Plugins respectively.